After hearing you guys and several “wedding planning stressing me out!” emails, we are swooping in to help! These tips will help you eliminate and get rid of wedding planning stress in a few easy steps. Read on and breathe — you got this, promise! Join the list for tips to your inbox!

Have you had a wedding dream and you’re trying to figure out what it really means?

Wedding dreams are a sign of wedding planning stress, and we’re here to help you get rid of stress related to wedding anxiety quickly.

I recall having a vivid dream a few weeks before my wedding. I was set to walk down the aisle, but I wasn’t wearing my dress; I was wearing a full sweatsuit — and not the cute one, you guys. I was walking down the aisle with flowers, but they weren’t the right bouquet that I ordered and I felt like no one was really ready for the wedding, including myself.

Also, the cake fell apart completely when it was brought over to the table, as in cake + frosting + layers + filling everywhere. It was a mess.

Thankfully, I woke up and none of that happened in real life, so if you’re thinking that your wedding stress dreams will play out in real life or you’re seeing reels from the future, I don’t think you have to worry. :)

Wedding dreams are manifestations of stress, feeling overwhelmed, or feeling like you aren’t quite getting enough things done in time.

It can happen to anyone, and to be honest, wedding stress dreams have happened to most brides-to-be that I know. It’s just a part of the stress that can occur when you’re planning such a big event in your life.

But stress — related to your wedding or life in general because, hey, it’s stressful out here! — doesn’t have to plague you in your dreams. There are some wonderful bridal stress-relieving tips you can put into place now to prevent overwhelming feelings and take action now, so you can have less stressful dreams and more importantly, feel empowered moving forward.

1. Create a schedule.

Do you feel like you’re always planning your wedding, sun up to sun down? Stop! Instead, create a plan of days you’ll work on wedding tasks and take a break on the other days. Having a clear mind and not constantly looking at wedding stuff — or talking about it with your partner — will make the days you do plan more efficient.

2. Be realistic and specific.

With your schedule, be specific and realistic. Don’t just say you’ll tackle all the decorations on Tuesday. That’s crazy. Instead, make a specfic goal you can reach: “Tuesday: I will decide which aisle decorations I like, figure out how many I need, and order them.” Perhaps on Thursday you’ll decide to, “Decide on wedding programs and how many I need to order; purchase them.”

See? You’ll be two steps ahead of the game and that is just two very easy things to tackle.

3. Practice relaxation techniques.

There are several things you can do to increase your well-being and reduce wedding stress right away. Here are a few of the suggestions that are the most popular in handling the stress of everyday things — and even big events, like the stress and anxiety of wedding planning.

– Use healing crystals, like Shungite

We’ve talked about the healing properties of Shungite in the past. But did you know it isn’t just pretty jewelry to wear? Many people swear by the healing and balance of shungite crystal, popular for eliminating EMF and bringing balance and calm to your life.

You can find out more at Wellness Hut, experts in this fascinating crystal.

You can wear a shungite necklace, use it as a powder, add it to handmade beauty products, include the crystal in your interior decorating, use crystals as Shungite healing stones, and more.

Note: I haven’t tried Shungite myself and cannot claim its uses, but I have read many stories about those who do; you can read more about shungite history and its uses here. It is known as a natural wellness aid.

– Drink herbal tea

A relaxing cup of tea such as chamomile or an herbal tea can help you relax and some even have detoxifying properties. It is recommended to avoid caffeinated blends since caffeine can add to your stress and anxiety.

I personally like this type, since I am picky on tea flavor and I like the flavors they offer. You get a bunch of tea for a great price with their wellness bundle.

– Light a candle

Candles, especially funny ones that can make you laugh and/or have a wedding stress relief scent, can be a huge help when you’re busy tackling wedding to-dos. I like to light a candle most evenings, simply because I find it to be extremely calming and gives me a sense of peace.

This “I’m fine, everything is fine” is probably the best candle for 2020 / 2021. :) By PerfectMatchShop.

– Take a bubble bath

Is there anything more relaxing and stress-relieving than a nice, warm bubble bath? I think not. Lately, I’ve been adding lavender essential oil to my baths (for the kids, too, and I swear they sleep better!) I use this one, if you want a recommendation. Just a few drops will do!

You can also treat yourself to a stress-relieving bridal gift, like these by PillarBoxGifts:

I also recommend this foaming bubble bath with Epsom salts. Mmmm, I love the way it smells and it feels so relaxing! It is definitely a spa-quality product you can enjoy in your own home.

– Watch a movie or binge watch a tv show

I think we can all agree that 2020 was made a bit easier through tv show binge-watching. ;) Getting to escape a little through television shows or movies is always a tried-and-true stress reliever. But don’t get too crazy, or you’ll start losing valuable time you can spend on planning.

What am I watching? I’ve been getting into Schitt’s Creek (ew, David!), Nurse Jackie, The Amazing Race, just to name a few. :) If you have one to add, email it to me. I’m always up for a new tv show suggestion!

– Get better sleep

Yeah, I know you want to skip right over this bullet-point because EVERYONE always says to get more sleep and make it more restful, but listen up: it’s true!

I was sleeping really terribly for a while and realized it was an easy fix: my pillow sucked. I upgraded to this pillow (you can read my honest review here) with memory foam fill you can adjust to get your perfect pillow height and fill. It hasn’t changed my life — let’s not be dramatic, ha! — but it HAS changed my sleep 1000x better. And that’s a fact. I would recommend this to my closest family and friends, to there’s that.

If you are sleeping on a bad mattress, I also suggest this as an upgrade. This is the mattress I have and, I’ll tell you something, I look forward to climbing into it every day!

4. Get organized.

The easiest thing you can do to relieve wedding stress quickly is to get organized. Clean up your space. Declutter. Figure out a central place where you’ll keep all of your wedding books, ideas, sticky-notes, fabric swatches, vendor names, phone numbers, emails, and more.

If you prefer seeing everything laid out and organized on a wall, try this custom dry erase board. It looks like a chalkboard but works like a dry erase board. You’ll love it to help you get rid of wedding planning stress and afterward as a monthly calendar in your home with your new spouse! I want one just because. By Circle and Square Decor.

We’re tackling a huge overhaul of clutter removal over here at home. It feels SO GREAT getting rid of clutter and, right not we’re working on clothing, to make more room for the things we want to wear, use, and enjoy. Plus, it gives us a chance to see what we have, need, and what we can donate. We’re preparing for our new baby (!!!) so that’s an added bonus. :)

I am channeling my inner Marie Kondo here, and if you haven’t read her book yet, see it here. I highly recommend the Kindle version; it is very inexpensive and you can read it on your phone right now and get started. It will declutter every area of your life — yes, even help you get rid of wedding stress by eliminating time-wasters in your space — and you’ll be grateful you read it.

As cliche as it sounds, it really will change your life. And I’m not one who usually falls for these “get tidy quick” schemes, but this totally works for me. I hope it “sparks joy” for you, too. :)

Once you’ve decluttered your space, get yourself a wedding planner organizer. It will keep all of your must-have documents, phone numbers, vendor names, etc. in one place. And it is convenient because you can stick it in your purse and take it anywhere you go.

Here are two organizers I like because they’re filled with checklists, plenty of room for notes, and more. Plus, they’re pretty cute.

5. Ask for help.

It isn’t easy to do everything yourself! If you are experiencing anxiety and news wedding stress relief, ask for help. You can delegate additional tasks to your partner, ask your Maid of Honor to help, ask your mom, bridesmaids, anyone! The best suggestion here is to be very specific and only delegate things of which you’re not too picky.

People who love you and support you will be more than happy to help you research, tackle, or cross off those to-do’s, especially if it means it will make you happy and get rid of wedding planning stress.

6. Get inspired.

When I was planning my wedding, I found that the times I felt the most stressed out about the big day was when I felt stuck — couldn’t figure out a theme, color palette, didn’t know what to tackle first, what was the most important, etc. When I stopped feeling inspired, I knew I needed to find a new river of ideas.

If you’re running into the same ideas all the time and experience bridal burnout, you’ll probably feel like you’re not getting anywhere.

So, I wrote a book to help other brides-to-be that may be experiencing the same lull, to help you get inspired and back on track. (My book is The Inspired Wedding).

Expand your thinking and seek out new inspiration wherever you can. Browse new Pinterest boards (see ours here), browse wedding finds on Etsy, check out handmade wedding products on Amazon.

Ask your recently married friends if they have a vendor recommendation, a suggestion for centerpieces, etc. that can help you think outside the box and get helpful insight.

You can also see 67 Wedding Tips from Real Brides for suggestions on things brides wished they did for their wedding so you can make sure to include them in your own.

NOTE: If your wedding planning anxiety is related to COVID, read: 5 Things You Need for Weddings During COVID-19 to help.

7. Stop stressing.

Yup, sometimes we all need a reminder:

STOP STRESSING OUT!

Sometimes we need a kick in the you-know-what to get us back on track. THIS is your kick. :)

Your wedding is going to be amazing, simply because you care enough to add those details and put time into planning it. The sign that you’re stressed out means you care, and if you care about your wedding (not to the point of exhaustion, but you get the idea) it is a good indicator that you are already thinking ahead and you’re preparing for a fabulous event ahead.

And remember: the important part of your wedding? Getting married. If you’re married by the end of the day, it was a success. :)

Hope it helps!

xo
Emma

A portion of this post was sponsored in part by WellnessHut.